Monaco's Director of Tourism has put interactive digital tools in place in the Principality for maximum effectiveness. His motto is “constant renewal”.
In a constantly-moving world, is the Department of Tourism’s mission also changing?
It’s similar, but we now use different tools.
We need to ensure that Monaco is marketed and promoted abroad to the different markets of MICE ((Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions), Leisure and Cruises as well as working through media, social and end-user networks.
Is Monaco Innovative?
The Principality is an innovation in itself. It is adaptable on all levels: cultural, economic and touristic. The size of the country imposes this: we must rise above the ordinary, and we should never be forgotten. We are driven by large-scale projects like the re-opening of the Hotel of Paris, in less than two years’ time. And also through the Principality’s interactivity, which is very linked to new technologies and smartphones, which systematically surprises people.
Innovation is also about exploring the new markets we’re turning to: Mexico, Kazakhstan, South East Asia (South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia), and of course India and China.
Do clients have new expectations?
Conference delegates always want free Wi-Fi everywhere in the city. Monaco could be the first entirely connected country. There are obvious synergies between high-tech congresses and the hi-tech cluster, which is very dynamic in the Principality. Furthermore it’s Monaco’s second biggest sector in business tourism. ROOMN and MedPI, are complementary meeting places for mobile and digital businesses, at the forefront of technological innovation.
Banking and Finance is also a profitable sector for congresses where Fintech is increasingly present.
Thanks to the congresses, hotel occupancy rate has grown by 10%. But businesses and leisure tourists are always looking for innovation. They are drawn to new establishments, like the Buddha bar, the Nobu, and the Song Qi… Our principle – renewed ad infinitum - is to go from innovation to innovation.
How do you adapt to this?
We must make our customers loyal, and also increase the Principality’s attractiveness through conferences. The fundamentals of our trade remain the same, but we will be more and more orientated towards digital tools and social networks. We also go out of our way to accommodate bloggers, in the same way as we accommodate journalists. We will expand our expertise and our resources, because we are aiming for a million fans on the Department of Tourism’s Facebook page in 2018. This is achievable when you consider that there more than 700 events a year in Monaco which we need to publicise.
We welcome six to seven million tourists a year. Some are very rich and consume, others don’t. The Department of Tourism’s action focusses on customers with strong potential. We must offer more targeted services, which stimulate consumption in order to remain faithful to our reputation of excellence.
